Street-car fender.



J. LOVASS w. GANZ.

STREET OAR FENDER. 4PPL10ATION FILED BEPT.16,1908.

Patented Apr.20, 1909.

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* UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- JOHN LOVASS AND JOSEPH GANZ, OF AMBRIDGE,PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS OF ONE-THIRD TO EDWIN GOODMAN, OF AMBRIDGE,PENNSYLVANIA.

STREET-CAR FENDER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN LOVASS and JOSEPH GANZ, subjects of the Kingof Hungary, residing at Ambridge, in the county of Beaver and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inStreet-Car Fenders, of which the following is a specification, referencebeing had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to street car fenders, and the objects of ourinvention are, first to provide a life saving device applicable tovarious types of street cars; second, to prevent injury to personsaccidentally run down by a car; third, to provide a novel street carfender that will be normally retained in such position relative to atrack that a person or object struck by the fender will be depositedthereon; fourth, to provide a strong, durable and inexpensive fenderthat will be nor mally retained in close proximity to the track in adirect alinement therewith similar to the trucks of the car irrespectiveof the inclination of the car or track.

We obtain the above objects by a life saving device that will now bedescribed in detail and afterward claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of our fender applied to acar. Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevation of the same, illustrating in dottedlines the fender in a closed or folded position. Fig. 3 is alongitudinal sectional view of the same. Fig. 4 is a front elevation ofthe fender, and Fig. 5 is a bottom plan.

In the drawings, the reference numeral 1 designates the track upon whicha car 2 is adapted to travel. The platform 3 of the car upon the underside thereof is provided with a circular bearing plate 4 having acentral depending pin 5 provided with a nut 6 for pivotally supporting atransverse beam 7. The ends of the beam 7 are provided with dependingforwardly curved brackets 8, and pivotally connected to the lower endsof said brackets are forwardly extending downwardly-inclined arms 9having the free ends thereof provided with vertical extensions 10. Theseextensions support a transverse rod 11 and connected to said rod is aflexible support 12 preferably constructed of strong and durable ropesor cables. This support is connected to the platform 3, and when theSpecification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. September 16, 1908.

Patented April 20, 1909.

Serial No. 453,215.

said arms 9 are folded upwardly, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, thesupport folds against the end of the platform 3. To maintain the fenderin a folded position the extensions 10 are provided with hooks 13 forengaging terrets 14 carried by the platform 3.

The arms 9 are provided with adjustable hangers 15 having rotatableaxles 16, upon which are mounted flanged wheels 17 adapted to travelupon the track 1. The rotatable axle 16 is also provided with a flangedbelt wheel 18 arranged intermediate the ends of the axle.

The forward ends of the arms 9 carry a rotatable shaft 20, and mountedupon said shaft are two rollers 21 and a belt wheel 22, said belt wheelbeing arranged between the rollers 21 and provided with a belt 23, whichpasses over the belt wheel 18. The belt 23 is twisted whereby the shaft20 will be rotated in an opposite direction from that of the axle 18.

The rollers 21 are covered with rubber 24 or a similar resilientmaterial, whereby when a person is struck by the revolving rollers 21the erson will not be injured, but will be imme iately precipitated intothe support 12. Since the wheels 17 are free to travel upon the track 1and maintain the rollers 21 a prescribed distance above the track, it isnecessary that the brackets 8 be free to swing in a horizontal plane andconform to the curvature of the track, consequently we have provided thebeam 7. To brace and guide this beam during movement, we provide theunderneath side of the platform 3 with plates 25 having segment shapedgrooves 26 formed therein, which receive upwardly extending compoundpins 27 carried by the beam 7. The depending brackets 8 are connected bya transverse bar 28 thus adding rigidity to the device.

It is apparent from the novel construction of our fender that a personstruck by the rollers 21 will be immediately thrown into the support 12and will be safely carried thereby until the motorman has stopped thecar 2. The proclivity of the rollers 21 is to force a person or objectoutwardly and upwardly, consequently it is impossible for a person tocontact with the trucks of a car.

It is thought that our invention will be fully understood witout furtherdescription,

and that various changes can be made in the l safety device withoutdeparting from the l scope of the invention. 1

Having now described our invention, what l we claim as new is: l

1. In a safety device the combination with 1 a car adapted to travelupon a track, of a pivl oted beam carried by said car, depending forlwardly curved brackets carried by the ends of said beam, grooved platescarried by said car, upwardly extending pins carried by the ends of saidbeam and engaging in said l grooved plates, arms pivotally connected tol the lower ends of said brackets and adapted l to swin upwardly to avertical position, adjustable hangers carried by said arms, an i axlejournaled in said hangers, wheels mounted upon said axle and adapted totravel upon I a track, a belt wheel mounted upon said axle, 1 a shaftjournaled in the forward ends of said arms, rubber covered rollersmounted upon said shaft, a belt wheel mounted upon said shaft betweensaid rollers, a belt mounted upon said belt wheels and adapted torevolve said rollers in a positive direction from said axle, a flexiblesupport connecting the forward ends of said arms with said car, andmeans carried by said car for holding said arms in a vertical position,substantially as described.

2. In a safety device the combination with a car adapted to travel upona track, of a )ivoted beam carried by said car, depending curvedbrackets carried by the ends of said beam, arms pivotally connected tothe lower ends of said brackets and adapted to swing upwardly to avertical position, adjustable hangers carried by said arms, an axlejournaled in said hangers, wheels mounted upon said axle and adapted totravel upon a track, a belt wheel mounted upon sa1d axle, a shaftjournaled 1n the forward ends of said arms,

l rubber covered rollers mounted upon said 5 shaft, a belt wheel mountedupon said shaft 1 between said rollers, a belt mounted upon said beltwheels and adapted to revolve said rollers in a pos1t1ve dlrection fromsaid axle,

a flexible support connecting the forward 1 ends of said arms wlth saidcar, and means carried by said car for holding said arms in a verticalposition substantially as described.

3. In a safety device the combination with a car adapted to travel upona track, of a pivoted beam carried by said, car, depending curvedbrackets carried by the ends of said beam, arms pivotally connected tothe lower ends of said brackets and adapted to swing upwardly to avertical position, adjustable hangers carried by said arms, an axlejournaled in said hangers, wheels mounted upon 1 said axle and adaptedto travel upon said.

track, a belt wheel mounted upon said axle, a shaft journaled in theforward ends of said arms, rollers mounted upon said shaft, a belt wheelmounted upon said shaft between said rollers, a belt mounted upon saidbelt wheels and adapted to revolve said rollers in a positive directionfrom saidaxle, and a flexible support connecting the forward ends ofsaid arms with said car, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in the presence of twowitnesses.

JOHN LOVASS. JOSEPH GANZ.

Witnesses:

E. GOODMAN, K. H. BUTLER.

